Contributing Part of Life for Feinberg Alumnus

“I think each person should reflect on who and what has helped his or her growth and then show appreciation for those gifts,” says Mark Allen Kaufman, a graduate of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“This can be done via a phone call and a thank-you or a financial contribution to the institutions or programs like Northwestern University and its physical therapy program. Doing so guarantees the continued success of that particular program or endeavor and all the good things that come from it.” Kaufman, who earned a bachelor of science in physical therapy in 1989 at Feinberg, sets a wonderful example of expressing gratitude.

To strengthen the department that furnished him with the methods and academic foundation for his career, Kaufman, along with his wife, Mary Ann, established an endowment in 2006 — the Mark and Mary Ann Kaufman Enrichment Fund — supporting scholarships and other priorities in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. They also created a resource to assist one student a year who is named a Kaufman Scholar. In addition, their generosity to the University includes gifts to the Wildcat Fund.

Their philanthropy serves as a vehicle by which Kaufman both supports his alma mater and aids individuals in achieving important goals that enrich their lives. Through AthletiCo, the company he founded in 1991, he helps people in another vital way. The 50 Chicagoland clinics of AthletiCo provide orthopedic rehabilitation and fitness services emphasizing prevention of future injury and patient education. They are distinguished, in part, by close relationships with their respective neighborhoods as well as the thoughtful, personalized, and highly skilled care of the clinicians.

For those who are familiar with a Northwestern University education, Kaufman’s professional and personal styles reflect the mission and philosophy of the medical school he attended. Friendly, engaged, and always willing to share knowledge, he seeks to promote the well-being of others through medical expertise and thoughtful clinical care. Kaufman spends considerable time meeting with staff at the different facilities; a diversity of groups, clubs, and other customers; and collegiate affiliations.

Kaufman successfully combined a keen interest in sports and physical education with a passionate commitment to community. He serves on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and recently became the board chair. For this enthusiastic husband and father (of three daughters), philanthropist, and engaged alumnus, life is about contributing.

This article first appeared in the Northwestern University Leadership Circle Honor Roll of Donors 2009.